We have this treasure in earthen vessels

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."  (Matthew 13:44)

This past Sunday, I preached on the parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl of great price in Matthew 13:44-46. One of the implications of these parables seems to be that the kingdom of God is not easily found. Like a field with treasure hidden under the surface, our world may seem ordinary and unspiritual until God gives us the spiritual eyes to see that “the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). May God bring us to a place where we can exclaim, as Joseph did, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it” (Genesis 28:16).

In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul uses similar language to describe what believers who have the Holy Spirit are like. Referring to the glory of the gospel, Paul writes, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” Although we may look ordinary, and even though this life may beat us down, we carry within us the glory of God in the gift of His Holy Spirit.

We live in a world where image is everything, as the tennis pro Andre Agassi told us in the Canon commercials of the early 90’s. Not much has changed since the days of King David, when God told Samuel, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). But as I prepared for Sunday’s sermon, I thought about the men and women of our church, individuals who many may walk on by like that ordinary-looking field, in the process missing out on the treasure that lies beneath the surface. I think of Nancy Allbee, whose life has been a testimony to God’s goodness and who has been a steady and loving figure in my life through some of my toughest times. I think of Mary Grove, who passed away eight years ago but was a woman of deep love for our church and her family. I think of Jim and Dorothy Scrobko, who have served our church since day one and how Jim is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, even at his advanced age. And I think of Ron Say, who will always be at the head of the line to serve his brother or sister and has been an example of godliness to so many.

As believers, we have the treasure of the gospel and of the glory of God within our decaying bodies. Therefore, I would challenge you not to be like the world, judging people by outward appearances and overlooking the treasure that lies beneath the surface. Instead, I encourage you to take the time to get to know a brother or sister at our church who you may only know on a surface level, that you might find yourself enriched by the treasure you discover.
Posted in
Posted in ,

No Comments


Recent

Archive

 2024
 2023

Categories

Tags

1 Corinthians 10 1 Peter 4:8-9 1 Thessalonians 5 1 Timothy 1:15-17 2 Corinthians 13:5 2 Timothy 4 Abundant Life Adoption Affirmation American cullture America Anger Anonymity Anthropology Anxiety Apologetics Approval Arguments Atheism Baptism Barnabas Battle Be still Bible Study Bible reading Bible study fellowship Bible Billy Graham Bob Pierce Bonhoeffer Books Breath Prayer Brennan Manning Brian Fearon Bronx Busyness C.S. Lewis Cape Coast Castle Central African Republic Character Charles Spurgeon Charleston Cheap grace Christian media Christian privilege Christian publishing Christmas Church growth Church life Church College Commitment Communication Community Compassion Competition Confidence Contentment Coronavirus Counseling Courage Cove Service Cowardice Craig Wolfram Critical Race Theory Criticism Cross Culture D.L. Moody Daniel David Death Deborah Depression Despair Discernment Discipleship Discipline Distractions Divine sovereignty Division E.M Bounds Easter Ebenzer Ecuador Edward Kimball Election Elisabeth Elliot Enabling Encouragement Endurance Envy Ephesians Eternal life Eternity Evaluation Evangelism Faith False Teachers Fame Family Fasting Father Fear Fellowship Footwashing Forgiveness Francis Chan Freedom Friendship Fruit of the Spirit Gaia McDermott Gates George Mueller Gift exchange Gino Marozzi Giving Glory God's character God's faithfulness God's goodness God's leading God's love God's plan God's power God's presence God's slowness God's sovereignty God's wrath God\'s faithfulness God\'s love God\'s power God\'s presence God\'s sovereignty God\\\'s presence God Good Samaritan Gospel Grace Grief Haiti Handel's Messiah Happiness Hartford City Mission Healing Heaven Hebrews 11 Hell Hiddenness of God History Holiness Hollywood Holy Spirit Home Honesty Hope Horatio Spafford Hospitality Houston Human responsibility Human rights Humility Hypocrisy Identity Ideologies Idols Immanuel In memory of Information overload Injustice Insecurity Integrity Interruptions Intimacy Isaiah 40 Isaiah 58 Isaiah 9 Israel JI Packer Jeremiah 29:11 Jeremiah 29 Jeremiah 8:11 Jesus' death Jesus' love Jesus\' love Jesus Job Joe Barone John 6 John 8 John Mark Comer John Newton Jordan Perterson Joseph Joshua Joy Judgement Judges Justice Kanye West Kingdom of God Knowing God Lamentations Lament Las Vegas Leadership Leaf by Niggle Lent Les Miserables Lessons learned Loaves and fishes Longing Lord's Prayer Love Loving people Luke 10 Lynne Pleau Mark 10:21 Mark Driscoll Marketing Marriage counseling Matthew 16 Matthew 26 Memorial Day Men's conference Mercy Mike Yaconelli Ministry of presence Ministry Missions Money Moralistic Therapeutic Deism Moses Music Nancy Butler New Year's New life NewLife Old Testament Opinions Optimism Order Orlando Outreach Parenting Passion of the Christ Passion Pastoral care Pastoral ministry Patience Peace Pentecost Perseverence Peru Phil Vaglica Philip Yancey Philippians 4:13 Play Pokemon Go Politics Poverty Power Prayer Preaching Pride Month Pride Prison ministry Progress Prophecy Prophet Prosperity Gospel Proverbs 14:4 Proverbs Psalm 13 Psalm 27 Psalm 37 Psalm 46:10 Psalm 46 Psalm 51 Public Speaking Purpose Quiet time R.C Sproul Reflection Relationship with God Relationships Relativism Relevance Religion Reputation Rest Resurrection Rev 2:4 Revival Rich young ruler Righteousness Romantic love Ron Luce Running Sabbath Sacrifice Salvation Same-sex marriage Samuel Sanctification Satan Saul Seculosity Self-Image Self-Worth Service Sex Trafficking Sex Shirley Prey Signifigance Silence Sin Smartphones Social justice Songs of Ascent Spiritual Disciplines Spiritual Formation Spiritual Gifts Spiritual Warfare Spiritual growth Statues Stories Street Church Stress Success Suffering Suicide Sunday School Survivor Syria Technology Teen Mania Thanksgiving The Hartford project The Ragman The Sound of freedom The Underground The Valley of Vision Theology Tim Keller Titanic Titus 2:11-12 Tolkienn Tony Campolo Tozer Trauma Trevin Wax Trust Truth Uconn basketball Unanswered Prayer Unity Uvalde Valley of Vision Vows Waiting Williams Syndrome Wisdom Witness Work Worry Worship Zechariah accountability accusation addiction bitterness cancel culture child trafficking confession conflict cool devotion disillusionment divorce emotions evil evolution faithfulness foster care glory days gratitude idolatry influences listening marriage nostalgia pastor perspective problem of Evil prodigal son purity of heart racism recovery redemption relevant repentance story temptation the one Jesus loves time management treasure trials tribalism violence vision